Pittsburgh Riverhounds continue win streak in league play
By Larry Snyder
It was a good night at Highmark Stadium on Saturday as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer club heated up the scoreboard and shut out the Rochester Rhinos 3-0 before a sell out crowd of 3,400. It was the second consecutive victory for the Hounds (3-4-4), who put together back-to-back shutouts for the first time this season.
It was also the first time this season that they scored three goals in a game, as the win kept Pittsburgh unbeaten in its past six USL PRO games.
The Riverhounds got on the scoresheet in the 42nd minute of play. Midfielder Matt Dallman fired a shot from 16 yards out that bounced off the crossbar and came back out to forward Jose Angulo, who slid a shot past Rochester goalkeeper Kriston Nicht inside the left post.
The goal was Angulo’s fifth of the season to lead the squad and it was Dallman’s seventh assist, tops in the league.
The Hounds struck for their second goal in the 63rd minute of play. This time it was Angulo who set up forward Jhonny Arteaga, who came flying through the middle of the penalty box and headed the ball into the top right corner of the net to increase Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-0. It was Arteaga’s second score of the 2013 season.
Pittsburgh would score for the final time in the 88th minute of play with a goal from midfielder Ryan Kinne, who had just checked into the match. Midfielder Kevin Kerr hit Kinne with a pass on the right side of the box that allowed Kinne to send a shot into the back of the net. The loss dropped Rochester’s record to 1-7-3 on the season.
On Friday, the Hounds will take on the Toronto FC reserves of Major League Soccer with a White Out T-shirt giveaway, sponsored by Highmark.
Riverhounds Reinforcements: On Tuesday, Pittsburgh defender Rich Costanzo was named to the USL PRO Team of the Week for Week 11 of the season. His consistent performance Saturday helped to keep the Rhinos in check as the Riverhounds claimed another victory.
Goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap has 27 saves and a 1.11 goals-against average in nine games played this season.
Last Thursday, the Riverhounds and the Century United youth soccer club announced plans for an elite, year-round developmental program for youth soccer players in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The program connects the growing club model of Century United with the area’s only USSF-sanctioned professional soccer club. It is a cooperative arrangement that is designed to accelerate player development and promote players to the highest levels of the youth game.